Regions of France | A French Collection

Honfleur Museums

Honfleur Museums - Enter the artistic world of Honfleur

Honfleur is a stunning town centred around the Vieux-Bassin (old bassin) whose water is fed from its port at the mouth of the Seine Estuary. Famous for its timber-framed townhouses that reflect in the water when bathed in the glow of the morning sun, the town is very popular.

Honfleur has a rich maritime heritage that goes back to Roman times and offers loads of attractions to visitors. It's very easy to spend a day in Honfleur leisurely walking, browsing the craft shops and art galleries and relaxing in the harbour cafés. There's even the largest surviving wooden church in France, Église Sainte-Catherine, just a very short stroll from the Vieux-Bassin and main hub of restaurants and boutiques.

Mimosa Festival in France

Fête du Mimosa at Mandelieu-la-Napoule

The Mimosa Festival celebrates the bright yellow fluffy flower which flourishes in February and brightens France's southern winter landscapes. The Côte d'Azur is ablaze with the fresh yellow glow of blooming mimosa which cheerily brightens public places and private gardens with its colourful bushes. This treat from Mother Nature is called the 'winter sun' by the locals and looks like a sea of yellow from January to March.

The arrival of its thick golden clusters of flowers which results in a flowering golden haze heralds the oncoming of spring and warmer weather, and is celebrated across towns in Provence. Forming a striking contrast with the vibrant blues of the Mediterranean, these evergreen trees with their bunches of fluffy, powdery, and fragile looking bright yellow small balls attract nearly 100,000 visitors each year.

Place de Furstemberg, Paris

Place de Furstemberg in Paris

Just recently I spent time again in the tiny charming Place de Furstemberg in Paris with its romantic lamp posts and elegant boutiques. Located in the bustling heart of Saint-German-des-Prés, just behind Église de Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the famous cafes Les Deux Magots, Café de Flore and le Bonaparte cafe, this tiny place is a photographer's delight. While I wandered around this very sweet square and ducked into a couple of the boutiques, my son chatted to a very friendly artist who was sketching the square. He said he had been sketching for a few days - and we could understand why - his artwork was so intricate and realistic, the beautiful square seemed to come to life on his sketchpad!

Strasbourg – What to See and Do

Strasbourg - What to See and Do

Today on the blog we have something different for you - a short travel reflection on the romantic town of Strasbourg from one of our inner-circle of followers and readers, Linda. Read what to see and do in Strasbourg benefiting from Linda's recent travel experience of visiting this fairytale town in northeastern France.

I love it when I receive emails from readers excitedly sharing their upcoming travel plans or, after they've returned home, sending me photos and short writings about their time exploring la belle France.

Paris Vineyards – The Remaining Vineyards of Paris

Clos Montmartre, the last vineyard in Paris

Paris Vineyards - The Remaining Vineyards of Paris

Did you know there are vineyards in Paris? Maybe you haven’t seen any vineyards in Paris, but hidden in three stunning parks and on the hillside of Montmartre, you'll find vineyards that all still produce grapes for wine production. These are referred to as the ‘urban vineyards’ of Paris as they co-exist in the urban setting of the city. ‘Clos’ or enclosed vineyards were originally maintained by Monks throughout the city.

Clos de Bercy is in the 12th arrondissement Parc de Bercy, Clos Montmartre is in the 18^th arrondissement on the hill, Clos des Morillons is in Parc Georges Brassens in the 15^th arrondissement and lastly, Clos de Belleville is in the beautiful Parc de Belleville in the 20^th arrondissement.

Four Romantic Small Vineyards in Paris

Small boutique vineyards hidden in Paris is such a romantic notion, I thought you'd love to know where they are, what their closest metro stations are for visiting, and also see some pretty photos.

New Caledonia – France in the Pacific

New Caledonia Nouméa - France in the Pacific

New Caledonia - France in the Pacific

When you think of visiting France I'm sure you conjure up images of the towering and majestic Eiffel Tower, cute café chairs spilling onto boulevard sidewalks and beautiful formal gardens. But, what if when thinking of France you conjured up images of numerous small islands clustered in clear turquoise water, white sandy beaches and swaying palms? Well, you'd probably be thinking of France, Pacific style, that is, New Caledonia!

If you know my story, you know I live in my homes in Brittany and in Australia and have travelled around a lot of France. But until now, I've never visited the French Territory of Nouvelle Calédonie (New Caledonia). Being a devoted Francophile, of course New Caledonia has been on my travel list... I mean how could it not? New Caledonia is only a few days ocean cruising from Sydney or just under a three hour flight from Sydney. Compared to my normal thirty-plus hours of travel from my Newcastle home to my home in Brittany, it's rather a breeze!

Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera

Beaulieu-sur-Mer is a small pretty, seaside resort overlooking Baie des Fourmis on the French Riviera, just east of Nice and at the north-east end of the Cap Ferrat Peninsula. Beaulieu-sur-Mer is known simply as 'Beaulieu' by the locals and is one of the lesser visited towns on the Riviera.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer is charming with palm shaded roads, lush Mediterranean vegetation, sandy beaches, picturesque marinas and luxurious villas. It's a prestigious town and its real estate commands high prices. In fact, it's been recorded that the three towns of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Villefranche-sur-Mer (called the 'Golden Triangle') all fetch prices often only second to those reached in Paris.

King’s Garden at Versailles – Le Potager du Roi

King’s Garden at Versailles (Le Potager du Roi)

Did you know that amongst the grand châteaux, immaculate flowering gardens and hedge labyrinths, Versailles boosts one of the most impressive vegetable gardens in the world - the King's Garden or le Potager du Roi?

Now a classified historical monument, the King's Garden is an incredible place to visit. As you can imagine the scale of the King's Garden is in keeping with the sheer majesty of Versailles. It is just over 23 acres with 28 small gardens on the periphery and a large square made up of 16 square vegetable gardens surrounding a central fountain. It’s also where you’ll find one of the only original golden gates to survive the French Revolution.

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Honfleur Museums

Honfleur Museums - Enter the artistic world of Honfleur

Mimosa Festival in France

Mimosa Festival in France

Fête du Mimosa at Mandelieu-la-Napoule

Place de Furstemberg, Paris

Place de Furstemberg in Paris

Strasbourg – What to See and Do

Strasbourg - What to See and Do

Paris Vineyards – The Remaining Vineyards of Paris

Paris Vineyards - The Remaining Vineyards of Paris

Four Romantic Small Vineyards in Paris

New Caledonia – France in the Pacific

New Caledonia - France in the Pacific

Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera

Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera

King’s Garden at Versailles – Le Potager du Roi

King’s Garden at Versailles (Le Potager du Roi)

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